The niece of a wartime Great Escape hero who was murdered by the Gestapo after tunnelling out of a prisoner of war camp has made an emotional visit to RAF Wyton.

Louise Williams was given a trip in a Grob Tutor aircraft used by Cambridge University Air Squadron whose predecessor students had been taught to fly by her uncle, Squadron Leader John Williams, before the war.

He was one of 50 escapers shot after being recaptured in their bid for freedom portrayed in the film The Great Escape.

Actor Steve McQueen’s character was partly based on that of Sqn Ldr Williams, even though he was an Australian.

Sqn Ldr Williams, who was just 24 when he was shot after crossing the Czech border, had been responsible for scrounging wood to shore up the tunnel at the German Stalag Luft III camp in what is now Poland and was number 31 out of the tunnel.

Louise, from Sydney, was invited to RAF Wyton after meeting members of the station’s 57 Reserve Squadron in a ceremony at the camp to mark last month’s 70th anniversary of the escape last month.

She said: “It was just very, very emotional to stand at the end of the tunnel and just thinking of the physical and mental endurance to would have required. It would have been hard going.

“It has been a huge privilege to come to RAF Wyton. It is absolutely extraordinary.

“I am just sorry my father is not here. I think he was enormously proud of John and what happened.”

Louise’s late father was the youngest brother of Sqn Ldr Williams and she said the whole family had been proud of his role in the Great Escape and that his “unnecessary” execution had made the whole episode harder for them.

She said it had been sad that information about Sqn Ldr Williams’ escape and death had only come to light after the death of his parents and other family members.

Louise, a writer and former foreign correspondent, is currently researching a book on Sqn Ldr Williams’ part in the escape and that of his Australian escape partner.

She has physically retraced his steps from Stalag Luft III to the area where he was captured and shot.

Seventy-six prisoners escaped through the tunnel, 50 were shot after they were recaptured and the rest were returned to their camps. Three made it home.

Louise said: “They were shot on Hitler’s orders because he was humiliated that they had escaped from an escape-proof camp.”

She said a disproportionate number of overseas prisoners had been executed because the Germans had not wanted to antagonise the British.

Louise said her uncle, a champion pre-war surfer and medical student from Sydney, was renowned for his sense of humour and regularly flew in shorts and sandals when he was based in North Africa.

Knowing war was coming he joined the RAF in 1937 and came to England where early duties included training members of Cambridge University Air Squadron.

He was a Squadron Leader at 23 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross at 22.

Sqn Ldr Williams was serving in the desert when his Kittyhawk aircraft was accidentally shot down by his own wingman and was captured by the Germans.